Expansion

It's been speculated that they are looking to add two new teams in the next few years. All the talk is about where those teams will be... But I just realized that expansion means expansion draft.
Does anybody remember the rules for the last expansion draft? If so... How screwed are we?

The last expansion draft was in the year 2000, for two teams: Columbus and Minnesota.

In the 2000 expansion draft, teams were allowed to protect either:
- one goaltender, five defensemen, and nine forwardsor
- two goaltenders, three defensemen, and seven forwards

This differs VASTLY from the 1992 Expansion Draft (our draft), in which teams were allowed to protect two goaltenders and fourteen position players. The Sens and Lightning were pretty screwed from that draft, and the garbage team Ottawa iced that year was a major motivating force to changing the rules of the expansion draft the next year for Anaheim and Florida.

... so, assuming we're working with the 2000 expansion draft rules:
- First and second year pros were exempt.
- At least one defenceman left unprotected by each team had to have appeared in at least 40 games in the 1999–2000 season or 70 games in the 1998–99 season and 1999–2000 seasons combined. At least two forwards left unprotected by each team had to have met the same requirements (or at least, that's as per Wikipedia).

The thing is, we're already 2 CBA's older than the last expansion team, so I imagine they'd shuffle up expansion rules a bit. Probably not a major re-working, but a tweak here or there might be expected.

Ran through a thing like this the other month. Under old format, expansion teams would get quality goaltending, some decent overpriced D and nothing but tweener forwards.

Yeah... best case scenario, a team gets lucky because someone dumps a skill guy who has some flaws in his game... an Andrew Brunette-type: a guy who comes out of nowhere to become a dependable scorer on an NHL team.

If we knew expansion was coming as early as next year, we MUST move a goalie beforehand. It would be a huge loss to let one of those three assets go for asbolutely nothing. Trouble is, other teams would know that too and lowball us.

If we knew expansion was coming as early as next year, we MUST move a goalie beforehand. It would be a huge loss to let one of those three assets go for asbolutely nothing. Trouble is, other teams would know that too and lowball us.

From Bonk's example Ottawa has 16 unprotected players. There would likely only be 2 expansion teams being added to the league looking to add what 23 players each? If each team puts up close to the same number of players then that is 480 players for 2 teams to select 46 players out of. I've never seen an expansion draft occur (was 5 or so when Ottawa came to town), so not sure if my math is exactly right here, but does that not make it very unlikely that Ottawa would lose many players?

From Bonk's example Ottawa has 16 unprotected players. There would likely only be 2 expansion teams being adding to the league looking to add what 23 players each? If each team puts up close to the same number of players then that is 480 players for 2 teams to select 46 players out of. I've never seen an expansion draft occur (was 5 or so when Ottawa came to town), so not sure if my math is exactly right here, but does that not make it very unlikely that Ottawa would lose many players?

Depends on what you feel about our depth. If this happens in two years and guys like Silfverberg, Stone or Zibanejad need to be protected all of a sudden Smith, Condra and Greening get the short stick. I don't see many situations where a guy like Greening or Smith don't get picked up...though 2 years from now we might be protecting Smith over Neil.

That's a really good argument for making a decision on a goaltender earlier rather than later. (Obviously hinges on the expansion draft rules being the same as before).

Trade now and get a good return, AND save us from losing a few other good players down the road.

Really...earlier rather than later?????

There will be no expansion next season and likely not the following. They would have to announce expansion teams this summer to get them ready for the 2014-15 season. I haven't heard anything indicating potential teams making official presentations to the BoG or even calls for presentations to be made. The earliest expansion happens is likely for the 2015-16 season, after the league has dealt with the problem teams (FLA, PHX, etc).

I'm pretty sure the Sens will have figured out what to do with the goalies by then. No need to do anything sooner than later with regards to expansion drafts.